molior

Latin

Etymology

From mōlēs (“a pile, heap”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈmoː.li.or/, [ˈmoːlʲiɔr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈmo.li.or/, [ˈmɔːlior]

Verb

mōlior (present infinitive mōlīrī or mōlīrier, perfect active mōlītus sum); fourth conjugation, deponent

1. to strive, endeavor, work at
2. to put in motion, shake, move
3. to rouse, bestir
4. to undertake, start, begin, commence
5. to erect, construct
6. (figuratively) to attempt, stir up
   • c. 190 BCE – 185 BCE, Plautus, Persa 5.2.8:

     Quia eī fidem nōn habuī argentī, eō mihi eās māchinās mōlītu'st.

     Because I had no trust in him about the silver, he laid me these machinations.

   • 63 BCE, Cicero, Catiline Orations 1.8:

     Nihil agis, nihil mōlīris, nihil cōgitās quod nōn ego nōn modo audiam sed etiam videam plānēque sentiam.

     You do nothing, you plan nothing, you think of nothing which I not only do not hear, but which I do not see and know every particular of.

   • c. 37 BCE – 30 BCE, Virgil, Georgics 1.268–272:

     Quippe etiam fēstīs quaedam exercēre diēbus
     fās et iūra sinunt: rīvōs dēdūcere nūlla
     rēligiō vetuit, segetī praetendere saepem,
     īnsidiās avibus mōlīrī, incendere veprēs,
     bālantumque gregem fluviō mersāre salūbrī.

     Of course, even on holidays to do some tasks
     divine order and laws allow: to guide down the rills no
     religion has forbidden, to lay a hedge in front of a crop,
     to set the birds traps, to burn bushes,
     to bathe the bleating herd in the clean river.

Conjugation

Conjugation of mōlior (fourth conjugation, deponent)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	mōlior	mōlīris, mōlīre	mōlītur	mōlīmur	mōlīminī	mōliuntur
	imperfect	mōliēbar	mōliēbāris, mōliēbāre	mōliēbātur	mōliēbāmur	mōliēbāminī	mōliēbantur
	future	mōliar	mōliēris, mōliēre	mōliētur	mōliēmur	mōliēminī	mōlientur
	perfect	mōlītus present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	mōlītus imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	mōlītus future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	mōliar	mōliāris, mōliāre	mōliātur	mōliāmur	mōliāminī	mōliantur
	imperfect	mōlīrer	mōlīrēris, mōlīrēre	mōlīrētur	mōlīrēmur	mōlīrēminī	mōlīrentur
	perfect	mōlītus present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	mōlītus imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	mōlīre	—	—	mōlīminī	—
	future	—	mōlītor	mōlītor	—	—	mōliuntor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		mōlīrī, mōlīrier1	mōlītum esse	mōlītūrum esse	—	—	—
participles		mōliēns	mōlītus	mōlītūrus	—	—	mōliendus, mōliundus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		mōliendī	mōliendō	mōliendum	mōliendō	mōlītum	mōlītū

¹The present passive infinitive in -ier is a rare poetic form which is attested.

Synonyms

• (strive): lūctor, ēlabōrō, certō, cōnītor, cōnor, temptō, affectō, tendō, quaerō, studeō, contendō, appetō, adnītor, labōrō, pugnō, ēnītor, perīclitor, nītor, spectō
• (construct): aedificō, exaedificō, inaedificō, struō, cōnstruō, condō, compōnō, fundō, cōnstituō, exstruō, statuō
• (start): incohō, exōrdior, occipiō, incipiō, coepiō, ōrdior, initiō, ineō, ingredior, aggredior, sūmō, committō, exorior
• (rouse): cieō, irrītō, stimulō, impellō, concitō, instigō, instinguō, exciō, ădhortor, inflammō, flammō, sollicitō, incendō, ērigō

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “start”): subsistō, dēsistō, cessō
• (antonym(s) of “rouse”): domō, lēniō, sōpiō, sēdō, plācō, restinguō, dēlēniō, coerceō, mītigō, commītigō, ēlevō, levō, allevō, alleviō

Derived terms

• admōlior
• āmōlior
• commōlior
• dēmōlior
• ēmōlior
• mōlīmen
• mōlīmentum
• mōlītiō
• obmōlior
• praemōlior
• remōlior

Related terms

• mōlēs
• molestē
• molestia
• molestus

References

• “molior”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• molior in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2024), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
• “molior”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• molior in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to compass, devise a man's overthrow, ruin: perniciem (exitium) alicui afferre, moliri, parare
    
  • to be busy with ambitious projects: magna moliri
    
  • to meditate crime: scelera moliri (Att. 7. 11)
    
  • to shake credit: fidem moliri (Liv. 6. 11. 8)
    
  • to plot a revolution: novas res moliri (Verr. 2. 125)
    
  • to meditate war: bellum moliri